New On The Shelf At Fiction Books This Week

A copy of this murder / mystery, was sent direct by the author, by way of an Amazon gift voucher, without any expectation of promotion or review. However, such is the rapport which has built between myself and author, Carolyn J. Rose over the course of time, that I have no hesitation in sharing what will no doubt be the thrilling conclusion to The Catskill Mountains trilogy, although all three books can be read as stand alone stories.

The Catskill Mountains are rich in folklore, legends, and tales of the supernatural. Once guided by ghosts, Dan Stone doesn’t disbelieve what can’t be explained. And there’s no logical reason for the patch of blighted ground beside a boulder near Hemlock Lake. Known as the Devil’s Tombstone, the rock marks the spot where, two centuries earlier, a man murdered his young wife and then disappeared.

As a part-time investigator assigned to cold cases, Dan is troubled by more recent deaths and disappearances. Reviewing files dating back two decades, he sets out to discover new leads. But it’s slow going. A massive snowstorm socks the mountains. Dan’s infant son disrupts his sleep. And dynamic preacher Wesley Falton pitches his revival tent, challenging Hemlock Lake traditions and the spiritual leadership of Reverend James Balforth.

As Dan digs deeper into the past, he suspects his cold cases are linked to a fresh murder. When hard evidence eludes him, he appeals for help from beyond the grave. As he does, he wonders whether ghosts make their presence felt because we believe in them, or because they believe in us.

The answer may lie at the Devil’s Tombstone.

…

CAROLYNJ.ROSE

Carolyn is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the ‘Subbing isn’t for Sissies’ series (No Substitute for Murder. No Substitute for Money and No Substitute for Maturity), and this, the ‘Catskill Mountains Mysteries’ (Hemlock Lake, Though a Yellow Wood and The Devil’s Tombstone).

She grew up in New York’s Catskill Mountains and graduated from the University of Arizona. She then logged two years in Arkansas, with Volunteers in Service to America and spent twenty five years as a television news researcher, writer, producer and assignment editor, in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.

Carolyn founded the Vancouver Writers’ Mixers and is an active supporter of her local bookstore, ‘Cover to Cover’.

…Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week. Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home, where links may be added each week. So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for our three new joint administrators, after all, we all like to receive them … ‘Mailbox Monday’

Yvonne

I can’t remember a time, even as a child, when I haven’t been passionate about books and reading.
I began blogging, when I realised just how many other people out there shared my passion for the written word and I have been continually amazed at the wealth of books that are available and the amount of great new friends I have made, from literally 'The Four Corners Of The World'.

30 comments

The characters in this series have been growing and developing with each new book and I see that Dan Stone has taken on a new role as cold case investigator in ‘The Devil’s Tombstone’, which I am sure will bring with it, a whole new set of challenges for both him and the residents of this small community.

Just from the email and blogging contact we have, Carolyn seems like such an outgoing and vibrant person and it is always good to exchange thoughts, ideas and opinions with her.

‘The Catskill Mountains’ series, has already held me captive with the first two books and then discovering that ‘The Devil’s Tombstone’ was going to be taking me off on a slight tangent to the previous stories, makes me all the more eager to read it.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, I always appreciate your visits and have a good week 🙂

I am actually amazed at the number of authors and publishers who keep in touch on a regular basis. As you rightly pont out, it is a great way of keeping ones library well stocked, however sometimes it is a little too well stocked with promotion posts and reviews needing to be published, but I just can’t seem to say no!

Thanks for deciding to stop by today. I love meeting new people, so your visits and comments will always be welcome and appreciated.

I think if I were having to live with the temperatures you mention, I would definitely need to be saying ‘keep cool’. I must admit that it has been bitterly cold today, but we Brits like nothing more than a good whinge about the weather, no matter what it is like. It’s being so happy that keeps us going !!

The author of this series, Carolyn J. Rose, was born and grew up in the Catskill Mountains herself and assures me that some of the characters and places she describes in such great detail in the books, do actually bear an uncanny resemblance to the real thing!

It is strange, but I am also always drawn to a story which is set my own little corner of England, or which is written by an author who lives locally to me 🙂

Good to see that you now have the conclusion to this series. I know you’ve thoroughly enjoyed her previous work, so I have no doubt this will live up to your expectations. It may well go in my TBR pile at some point.

There shouldn’t be too many loose endsto tie up, in this, the final installment of the ‘Catskill Mountains’ trilogy, as Carolyn has done an excellent job of making each book work well as a stand alone story. Still, it will be good to make sure that all ends happily for Dan and Camille, the two main protagonists in the story.

Carolyn is just such a blast to work with, which also helps move things along nicely. Her sense of humour is very much like my own, as is Mike Nettleton’s, her husband, so their joint blog always makes for compulsive and often controversial reading – but always entertaining!

Following Dan Stone as he develops into his new role and responsibilities, is going to be just as interesting, as the storyline is intriguing. ‘The Devil’s Tombstone’ sounds like a great climax to the series!

Carolyn has been very good at making the first two installments of the series, complete stories in their own right, thus leaving no loose ends to be carried over. I am therefore hoping that ‘The Devil’s Tombstone’ brings this series to a final and convincing conclusion, leaving the characters of Hemlock Lake to get on with their day to day lives.

Thanks for taking an interest in this week’s post, I always value your comments.

Carolyn writes an excellent murder / mystery and that is always going to endear me to any author.

She has also written another series titled ‘Subbing Isn’t For Sissies’, which takes the reader into a world which Carolyn knows only too well – that of the substitute teacher!

I am lucky enough to have Carolyn gift me copies of many of her books and I am only too happy to help promote them. Also, as she writes such great guest posts from time to time, it means we get to keep in touch on a regular basis.

For such a small place Hemlock Lake is definitely upping the body count dramatically, with each new story which emerges and in ‘The Devil’s Tombstone’, it looks as though we are set to discover that this is a recurring trend, with plenty of ‘cold cases’ being uncovered by Dan.

Thanks for stopping by, it is always good to hear from you and I hope that you are well 🙂